Active Participation

Active participation during a class lecture helps students learn and retain more information and improves performance in class, on assignments, and on exams. Here are a few tips for improving active participation skills.

Attend class regularly. Try to arrive early and stay a little late to avoid missing the beginning or the end of the lecture when the professor might introduce or summarize important information or make important announcements.

Sit in the front of the class to minimize distractions. Many professors find students who sit in the front rows or up the middle of the classroom (the T-section--see below) are most successful.

Pretend you and the professor are having a conversation: sit up straight, make eye contact, and behave as though the success of the conversation depends on you being a good listener: nod when you agree and ask a question when you are confused. Paying attention will improve your comprehension and let the professor know you are interested in the class.

Concentrate. If you are concerned about something, write it down on a separate piece of paper, then put it out of your mind and deal with it later. If you catch yourself daydreaming, calmly remind yourself to pay attention.

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